Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (LP)

Two big names on the cover of an LP was already a sales-promoting idea in 1962, so they had pianist Duke Ellington join the actual John Coltrane Quartet. They played mainly Ellington songs and indeed this marketing idea led to a remarkable album in which two greats of jazz treat the material at hand very respectfully. In particular, the title track In a Sentimental Mood gained from the collaboration of Ellington and Coltrane, but Take the Coltrane and Big Nick also developed a charm all their own. You can hear Duke Ellington on piano and John Coltrane on tenor and sproano saxophone and Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums as part of the Coltrane Quartet. However, on some songs Ellington partners Aaron Bell on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums also played.